Patricia Heaton on Breitbart: Full of Joy and Chutzpah

Andrew Breitbart was the shoulder to cry on, the coach who inspired, the leader who was fearless. Just knowing that Andrew was out there, fighting the fight for the rest of us, gave us all the strength to hold our ground when we faced hostility.

Andrew took all comers, never backing down, retweeting the worst of the worst comments from his Twitter feed with a big smile.

He did everything with such aplomb, with such joie de vivre, with such a jolly chutzpah that can only come from someone who is both Jewish and Irish! Somehow he was able to be everywhere all at once, instantly responding to texts and e-mails, always ready to right a wrong, to stand up and fight for you.

Anyone who cared to look could see that Andrew was a thoughtful, well-read, deeply informed person who welcomed all, treated everyone the same, and gave everyone a shot. He was most happy when he could engage in a serious exchange with his opponents, and only became the animated provocateur when he encountered mindless bigotry and hatred. Then he gave as good as he got.

But most of all, Andrew was so grateful for his beautiful wife Suzie and their four children, humbled to have been blessed with such a wonderful family. My heart is breaking for them, for the loss of their wonderful husband and father. If it’s any comfort at all, I hope they know that all of us who had the privilege of knowing Andrew will do all we can to keep his memory alive and pick up and bear the standard he held so well.